Breath of Fire Another Story
by Ryuhi Hikari
Summary: The foretold destiny is inevitable... The cycle of fate can't be stopped to repeat the never ending tragedies of the past. Deatevan has gone for a hundred years now, but is it the end? Or perhaps, it is rather the beginning, the start of another story...
1. Prologue: Arrival

First of all, I do not own Breath of Fire, however, the characters, expect of some Characters from the previous game belong to me. 

This story came into my mind nearly half a year ago, however, I was not really sure, if I would be able to write well. I decided to try it and I hope, that you will forgive me, if I did not do well, it is after all the first Fan Fiction I have ever written on my own.

It is also the first time, that I write an English story and also my English might be worse it could also be much better.

This story takes place between the second and the third game, but because I never played the third game, the content of this story might perhaps be contradictory with the events in the third game.

This story is also based on the "bad" ending of the second game.

Despite the names, this is no Breath of Fire/ X 1999 Crossover, although X 1999 greatly inspired me.

Now I hope you are going to enjoy reading this story. Please review! Breath of Fire, another Story Prologue 

It was the first month of the new year and the winter storms still kept the country in their icy coldness. The plains north of Mt. Fubi were covered in a thick layer of snow, which matched the colour of the cloudy sky. At this time, the snow covered roads were empty, all travellers had taken shelter in the towns and villages.

Only two figures were moving in the endless white plain, both wearing traveller cloaks hardly protecting them from the freezing storm.

They both obvious for anyone who would have seen them were children, the younger and smaller one perhaps still not more than six years old, while the older one was a juvenile perhaps fourteen years old.

He wore a grim expression on his face, while he prevented the younger one from falling face off into the snow.

He supported his weight with his arm and stroke over his icy hair with his hand wrapped in a woollen glove.

"We will soon be there, little brother." He smiled at the younger one warmly.

However, he seemed even to exhausted to talk he just looked up to his older brother, who was now looking at the horizon.

The vast plain stretched out into every direction.

Only the mountains in the south loomed over this endless fields of snow.

The wind was now blowing heavily and the snow hardly allowed them to see further than twenty meters.

"Damn", the older one said to himself," if it keeps that way, we won't be arriving till tomorrow and we haven't had any food for days. My pole is broken and there is no shelter in this empty plane. My magic is to weakened to summon a fire, even if we had wood and a safe place to rest. We will have no choice but to go on, Ryu just can't stay another day without food and I doubt that I will be able to do it much longer. We have to risk it even though we might get lost."

He nearly had to carry his younger sibling as they went on.

The wind was blowing even harder now and it was getting colder and colder, even though the two brothers hardly noticed that anymore.

He watched the horizon for any sign, but because of the heavy snowfall, he still wasn't able to see very far.

He was really exhausted and Ryu was even worse.

The young boy was shivering and moaning slightly.

A terrible presumption hit the older one, as he looked into Ryu's face.

Hoping not to be right, he pulled of the glove and laid his hand on his little brother's forehead.

He felt intense heat, as he touched his skin with the bare hand.

"This is turning even worse", he thought." His temperature is really high. He most have got a really bad cold and now he is even in a fever."

He had slung his arm around Ryu's chest and covered him with his mantle . He had to keep his body warm also he now felt the wind blow against his woollen shirt.

"Fuma, my head feels so hot", the boy's voice was hardly more than a whisper.

He looked into his big brother's face with his emerald eyes wide open.

"Don't worry, little bro, you mustn't give up now, we will soon be there."

He hardly believed his own words though.

They had been walking for hours and it was already dark now.

The snow and the darkening sky had merged to an all surrounding greyness.

Fuma walked on with his little brother on his side, staring at the hardly identifiable horizon looking for the sight of the castle, housing the high academy of the magic arts.

The cold wind was draining the last warmth out of his body, but he ignored it. Ryu needed the cloak more, than he did at the moment. Silently and now both shivering they went on.

The two of them had been travelling through the wilderness for months now, always avoiding settlements and travelling routs.

Fuma had been fishing to get them food and they had rested in caves or in the woods to hide themselves.

Their Followers seemed to have lost their tracks, but they would certainly search for them and ask the inhabitants of every settlement, if they had seen two boys with blue hair and cross shaped marks on their foreheads travelling through the country on their own.

The older boy determinedly looked at the horizon and then at his little brother.

"They won' t get him as long as I am alive, neither will I ever allow them to use me", he thought fiercely," And what ever it may take, I won't let him carry the burden placed on either one of us."

The two brothers silently walked through the snow slightly shimmering in the darkness of the winter night.

A small shade hushed through the misty sky unseen by the two boys.

It looked like a batwinged snake with one big red glowing eye instead of a head.

It's iris widened as it gazed at the two siblings.

Fuma stumbled and collapsed right into the white see of cold. The snow surrounded him and he felt the weight of  his brother's body, whom he had been carrying, since Ryu had lost consciousness.

He tried to stand up, but he couldn't. All his muscles felt numb and his brothers body pressed him down.

The boy barely succeeded to halfway lift his torso up.

He somehow managed to keep in that position, even though he felt the weight of both their bodies draining him down, but more and more, Fuma felt his consciousness slowly starting to drift away.

It was so easy just to give up now, to lay down into the snow and wait, until it would cover them both. 

All around him had been dark, but he now could see, how the pale snow slowly begun to glow.

Fuma could vaguely see something dark and tall, standing out from the pale, grey snow, reflecting the dim light of the overcast moon.

"The academy, Ryu. We are nearly there, but I do no longer have enough strength. I am sorry, little brother", he said in a choked whisper.

The now clearly visible gate was just some meters away from them, just a little more and he would have been able to knock on the great wooden door.

Fuma felt his arms giving way to the weight of Ryu's and his body, as he fell back into the snow.

His vision started to fade as everything went dark. Fuma lost his consciousness, falling into a sleep, which he with his last thoughts knew he would never awake from.

The guttering light of the candles illuminated the face of the old man, whose clear grey eyes reflected the small flames. With his wrinkled skin an his long neck, he almost locked like a old and wise turtle, carefully mustering the yellowed folio in front of him. Only his long grey hair and beard didn't quite fit into that impression.

He was dressed in a grey and white robe an he wore a thin silver circlet around his forehead.

Suddenly, a surprised voice sounded from the door to the old library: "Master Helvin, you are still up?"

The old wizard slowly and without any surprise turned around to the doorway looking at the newcomer:

"So are you, Sorata", he said with his calm but strong voice, smiling at the young forest-clan's man," What is still keeping you awake?"

Sorata, who was dressed in some kind of cross between a wizard's robe and a warrior's uniform, nervously scratched the fur on the back of his head as he was about to answer: "I, I…". But as he just started to speak he caught a glimpse of the book, the old wizard was reading. The lupine boy let out a surprised gasp and his eyes widened in astonishment. "Master, you too? You also have seen it?"

Master Helvin slowly nodded and looked into Sorata's eyes. His voice was much more serious as he answered to the question of the young knight of the arcane arts: "Yes, I also have seen the change in the stars. The twin zodiac is starting to reform, heralding the raise of another destined one to fight for the fate of this world. Yes, Sorata, I also have seen the signs and I decided to consult the copy of the liber gentis draconum as well. In this days only a few people still know of the legend of the destined ones and I have to admit, that the fact, that you know of this book surprises me a bit."

The old man closed the folio still smiling and folded his hands together still looking at the younger one . "But I am being rude, please sit down.", he said gesturing ad a  chair on the other side of the desk. Sorata followedthe invitation still a bit taken aback, but also curious.

"Now", the old wizard started, "as you searched for this book, you already seem to know of the meaning of the signs. The past will repeat, the ancient battle will be fought once more and it's result will decide over the fate of this world. However, even I cannot interpretate the prophecies of Hiryu no Meiyama without vagueness, many of them are ambiguous and others do not yet seem to make any sense to me at all. It says in the prophecy, that "when everything except of grief is late and pain overcome hope, death and despair unite in one, and the one burdened to live will fade to make the destroyer of reason perish". However I cannot figure out, what the meaning of this could be." He run his fingers trough his beard lost in his own thoughts. "And their deepest wishes can only be full filled by the most painful losses", he murmured before he turned his attention back to Sorata, who was even more taken aback now. However, the forest clan's man seemed to have overcome his surprise, as he now still a bit shyly asked: "When?" Master Helvin slightly shook his head as he answered: "I cannot tell you for sure, Sorata. The ancients' knowledge of the arts of astronomy has been lost over the centuries and little do we know of the ways of the sky. Perhaps the day, when the stars will have reached their final position will not arrive as long as we live, perhaps the destined one will be born in a decade already. It is difficult to foretell the course of the stars and it is not even sure, weather the rise of the twin zodiac will mark the awakening of the destined one or the battle of live and death, the fight for the future of this world." He cleared his throat and slowly arose from his chair taking up his staff, which was leaning against a bookshelf. "Gladly though, there is a hind in the liber gentis draconum, which perhaps will help me to find out. I will have little walk, Sorata, I have to see the current position of the stars to find out, whether my theory based on this hind is right." "I will come with you, master", Sorata said  quickly and also stood up to follow his master, who smiled in agreement. Master Helvin blew out the candles making the old library turn completely dark.

They walked together through the empty corridors made of grey stone, which were lit by torches of everlasting fire. The guttering light softly illuminated the old and precious tapestries, showing scenarios of ancient wars, deeds of the heroes of the past, the histories of the clans and even the legendary flying cities, which once loomed in the sky. Sorata was all churned up inside, on the one hand he had so many questions, he wanted to ask the old wizard, but on the other hand, he was afraid of the answers he might get. So the young forest clan's man silently walked by his masters side. As they went into the great entry hall with it's many staircases , the old wizard turned to the gate leading to the outer ring of the fortress. Sorata followed him, although he was slightly surprised, that they did not go to the tower of astronomy. The old wizard opened both wings of the great door, revealing the completely snow covered yard. The snow crunched under their steps, as they went over the path to the main gate and the frozen fountain in the middle of the stone made path reflected the silvery light of the full moon, which now was clearly visible. Sorata felt excitement rushing up inside of him, the full moon always had a irresistible attraction for the forestclan, it was their time of hunting. He tried to ignore the eager expectation and followed his master, who was standing in front of the main gate. Master Helvin placed his hands on the two wings of the enchanted gate and a soft blue glow spread over the old oaken structure. The old wizard stepped back, as the huge wings of the portal opened as if moved by magic, as they actually were. Sorata with his sensitive nose could smell the sea from the distant, as the two of them walked outside.

The sky had completely cleared by now and the stars shun brightly. Sorata looked at his master, whose gaze wandered over the night sky. The old wizard slowly stepped forward still staring at the stars. His companion suddenly let out a gasp and pointed at the snow, which was not as untouched as it should have been, there were footprints leading to the academy but ending not far from the point, where they stood. "Master Helvin, there is someone lying in the snow!", Sorata said in surprise. Master Helvin lowered his gaze and looked at the point, where the footprints ended. "Be quick, Sorata, perhaps it is not to late yet",  he hastened to the depression in the snow closely followed by Sorata. He knelt down and pulled away the thick but partly worn out cloak, that had moved over his owner like a winding sheet. Two boys lay beneath it, the obviously younger one with his arms slung around the older one's back. They both had blue hair and as the old wizard noticed when he turned them around, emerald green eyes. They had to be brothers, he thought. Their lips were almost blue with cold and their skin was pale, nearly as white as the snow. He carefully felt for their pulses, as if he was worried to hurt them. At first he thought, that it was to late for them, but then he felt a slow and weak throb. It was not to late yet. He placed his old and wrinkled hands on the two boys breasts allowing the magic energies to flow through their bodies. He felt something fury striving his hand and realised, that Sorata too used his magic to stabilise them. After a short while, he stopped and put his hands away, followed by the young forestclan'sman. The ice covering the two boys' hair had almost melted away and their pulses were a bit stronger and faster than before. However, Helvin was still worried, the younger one's temperature was higher than it should have been. He brushed his hair aside, again looking to the sky. The temperature was indeed very high, the boy was in a fever. He stopped the attempt to find the stars, he had been searching for and looked into the boys face again. Now that his hair no longer fell over his forehead, he could see a mark, perhaps a scar. It was formed like cross, but the upper and the lower arms were slightly curved back and the middle part as well as the ends of the right and the left arms were much thicker than the rest. His face widened in shock as he quickly reached for the other boys forehead and brushed his hair aside revealing an almost identical scar. Sorata, who had noticed the change in his master's expression came to his side: "Master, is something wrong?" The old man turned around as if he just had noticed Sorata. He seemed to have calmed a bit, but his face still showed his astonishment, or was it fear? "I will tell you later, we have to carry them back to the caste at once. We must not waste time! Sorata, I was wrong, the day will come sooner, much sooner, than I ever thought possible", he said, his voice almost agitated. Without effort he lifted the younger boy's emaciated body, wile Sorata took the older one.

Suddenly, just as the old wizard had taken the younger boy over his shoulder, he turned around quickly taking up his staff, which he had placed on the ground and firing a ball of glowing flames into the sky. They could here a hissing sound and an soft explosion and a small charred creature fell from the sky. It had a serpentine body, large bat like wings and one now dull big red eye instead of a head. Sorata looked at the dead creature in astonishment: "A beholder!?" His master nodded: "Yes, it seems, we are not the only ones who have red the signs. Now quickly carry the boy inside!" Sorata looked at the creatures body, which now seemed to fade away and then followed his master back to the castle.


	2. Chapter 1: Sanctuary

Few, I am really sorry that I didn't write anything for such a long time, gomen nasai!

But it gave me time to think through some points of the story. I hope, that from now on I will update more frequently.

Well, this chapter will have some things, that might confuse youu, but they have their reasons and shall be explained in later chapters. mysterious grin

I hope you like it!

Ahm, perhaps I should first hope, hat there still are any readers. big sweatdrop

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Around ten years later…

Breath of Fire, another Story

Chapter I: Sanctuary

The soft light of the early afternoon shun through the high glass windows, marking the thin layer of dust on the bookshelves looming high above the floor. The carpets, which lay on the grey stone made floor were plunged into light, illuminating their old and complex patterns and the shadows of the trees slightly moving in the breeze waved over the walls, shelves, carpets and the desks, placed in the grand library of the high academy of the arcane arts.

Only one person was sitting there deeply absorbed in the book lying on the table in front of him. It was a boy of perhaps sixteen years with reddish blond hair, emerald green eyes and a gentle, handsome face, wearing a strange purple garment with dark grey seams and a silver symbol on the breast, resembling a robe as well as a warrior's garb. A sword lay on a table next to him, resting in a rune covered scabbard. He was neither very tall, nor the opposite, perhaps 1, 70 meters in size, rather frail and delicately built. A thin almost faded, cross like mark with the upper and lower arms bowed back, thickening left and right arms, which ended in a almost crescent like form and an a bit thicker slightly oval shaped centre was visible on his forehead.

The young magic knight apprentice or squire of the arcane arts, as the disciples of this section of the high academy of the magic arts were called, carefully turned over the page of the old quarto volume he was reading, his expression clearly showed his eagerness.

The Page was filled with a small thin handwriting; the capital letter however was very big and skilfully elaborated. A serpent like dragon had slung his body around the T and seemed to watch the reader with its small blue eyes.

The history and legends of the Dragonclan

_The ancient times_

_Where did the dragons come from? Where does their story begin? Little is known about the ancient times, when the gods _

_Ladon, the Dragongod _

_To be the first, who but no one unlike Namanda and ancient civilisation_

_We know flying cities technology, which surpasses _

_Metalsmiths created other , like the ancient _

_of a stone robot. Dragon said to_

_origin of temples build shrines Dragongod._

_now of further . According to _

_which says battle restored._

The boy stopped reading and leaned back in a sigh, the arms crossed behind his neck. "That is totally useless. More than half of the text is completely bleached out", he dejectedly said with his head to the ceiling of the high room. He straightened again and turned over the next pages. The old parchment was yellowed and the ink also had mostly faded away. Only small passages were still clear enough to be read, but none of them standing alone was enough to understand the old text. But the boy still continued to search through the book, his face showing first hope and then disappointment with every new page, which turned to be just as unreadable as the rest. Finally, he reached the end of one of the chapter he was "reading" now, as a bride ornament at the bottom of the page indicated. He sighed and turned over the next page. His sigh however turned abruptly into a sound of surprise. He looked at the just opened page his eyes wide in astonishment. This time, the page was not yellowed and bleached out, it was certainly old, but the ink was clearly visible, without even one single faded letter.

"How…"

The voice of the boy was merely a whisper as he stared at the opened page in front of him.

The First Goddess War

He still could not move his eyes away from the book.

"It… it is just like the others. There are always the same parts missing, almost as if..."

But he was suddenly cut off as the winged door of the library swung open with a loud bang…

"Ryu-chan!", a slightly angry voice shouted behind him.

Totally startled by the sudden intrusion, the boy, trying to quickly grab something to discretely cover his book, send his chair falling backwards and unceremoniously crashed on to the floor -together with the piece of furniture.

Sighing, yet showing n a bit embarrassed smile, he looked up to see the figure of a girl dressed in an identical, yet yellowish green and white seamed, garment looming over him.

She had long blond hair, which she wore in a plait falling over her shoulders as she bowed down to the boy. Her blue eyes looked down at him accusingly, yet her face couldn't hide a mischievous grin.

"Nina-chan, you know you should not rush into the library like that or master Halfas will ban you from ever entering it again someday", he said while rolling of the fallen down chair.

The girl just grinned in reply and said in a cheerful, mocking voice: "I can't see the old codger anywhere around, so why bothering with his stupid rules. He is in the great hall enjoying his lunch just as all the others, you are the only one in here so why all the fuss?" She stretched out here hand down to him, which he gratefully took, returning to a standing position in a fluent motion.

"So you mean I am not worth a princess' politeness after all?", he replied with a grin.

"YOU want to call me impolite?", the girl angrily planted herself in front of the boy, pushing him almost back against the table, where his sword was lying. "Master Helvin made ME search for YOU, just because YOU didn't show up at lunch again. So I had to run through half of the castle just because you once AGAIN forgot everything else about your stupid, stupid books! Now, is that how a proper gentleman is supposed to treat a lady!" She almost yelled now pushing him further back with every word.

"Well, a proper lady wouldn't shout around in a place of quietness and learning, such as a library is, would you not agree?", he replied smiling gently, yet with a slight trace of mischievousness in his face. "And unlike you, I don't want to let my studies slack of, you know. However", he said with a dramatic expression, yet still grinning, " a princess surely has to estimate such low and trivial matters as learning, study or the passing of exams to be far beyond her dignity. Surely, these are what only a commoner such as me would waste his precious time to commit himself into", he finished with a smile and gripping his sword, he got out of her reach with a back flip.

"Oh, you!", she screamed, launching herself forward as if she wanted to tackle him, which was actually quite likely.

However, her target just with a smile removed itself from the zone of attack in time.

Instead of the boy, Nina's tackle hit the bookshelf behind him, sending myriads of books all fluttering and falling to the ground.

"Oh no!", the girl cried out in horror.

"You did it again, Nina- chan…" the boy said calmly and with a hind of resignation in his voice, looking to the ground wearily.

"Quit commenting and better help me put them back, before the old codger sees…", but she was interrupted by an indignant, menacing voice booming through the room from the other side of the library: "Nina Wyndia!"

The girl froze in place as if hit with a thunder spell.

"How dare you causing havoc in this place again! Haven't I explicitly warned you, that I would not take this lack of respect, this carelessness any longer?"

Master Halfas, the librarian, had by now emerged from behind tone of the large rows of bookshelves, his dark grey hair and beard waving behind him and his eyes flashing with anger and his menacing, tall figure dominating the room.

"Even though you are a princess and descendant of one of our founders, you are no less subject to the rules of this school than anyone else!"

Nina tried an apologetic smile to soothe the raging old wizard, but failed miserably in the attempt.

"Ah, well, I, I really, really am sorry, you know, master Halfas, but we, ahm, kind of had a, well, rather not just verbal argument, and somehow I accidentally hit the she…"

But her words did not at all achieve to calm down master Halfas, instead, he almost seemed to burst with anger.

"Ah, I forgot, master Helvin wanted me to search for Ryu here." Nina rushed out in a desperate, last attempt. "I really would like to stay and repair the damage I caused, but…"

Then, gripping his arm, she turned around to Ryu: "Now, run!" Without waiting even another second she dashed forward, still clutching his arm and thereby dragging him along.

"W, wait, Nina, why do I have to…"- You stay here girl until I'm finished with you!"

But neither Ryu's protest, nor the librarians angry shouts stopped the Wyndian princess from running through the great front door as quickly as she had come in, the struggling boy still dragging with her, forcing him to run as well.

"Well then, master Halfas!", Nina shouted backwards with a slight grin.

"Don't think you will get away that easily, he shouted and throw his hand forwards.

A cluster of flaming orbs had materialized over his head and, following his gesture, they flow after the running princess like a pack of fierce wolves.

With a roaring sound, the first fireball hit the floor barely half a meter behind them, sending a small wave of head after them. Ryu was now on the same level as Nina, his hand finally free of the princess grip, yet still running to avoid being hit by the balls of heat exploding always just shortly behind them, chasing them through the stone corridor.

"Why do you always have to provoke him even more, Nina- chan?", Ryu asked while jumping forward to avoid one of the persistent fireballs.

"Quit complaining, you nerd and keep running!", she shortly responded, having trouble with a fireball following at her heels.

"I'm not a nerd!", the boy shouted. "You simply are a slacker!" He quickly jumped aside to avoid a n explosion. "And that's not the point now anyway!"

"Then", Nina jumped to the other side of the corridor," why asking me such a nerdy question?" , she said smugly .

A loud bang indicated another explosion behind them.

"Why do I always have to be dragged into the trouble you cause", he sighed wearily, but more to himself.

"Poor boy", master Halfas sighed. "I wish, this girl would take a leaf out of his book", he laughed, " or at least take any book into her hand at all." Shrugging his shoulders, the librarian closed the door and with a swift motion of his hand, he pointed at the scattered books lying on the floor. They slowly started to vibrate than, without warning, they shot up into the air coming to a sudden halt just in front of the empty places in the bookshelf. Master Halfas stared at them for a moment, than, carefully mustering the books, he moved his hands in a complex pattern, pointing in different directions. The books, as if moved by an invisible hand, changed their positions while still floating in the air. It took perhaps a minute until all the books where in the proper place, than, with another swift movement of his hand, he sent them flying back into the shelf. Shaking his head, he turned around and glanced at the table, where still a book was lying open, where the person reading had left it. He quickly scanned the content of the page, than, having mustered the headline, he flipped back some pages all covered with the same clear and elaborate handwriting. He only stopped when he reached the first page of the chapter with the carefully elaborated and detailed picture of the dragon around the letter T. "As I thought…", he murmured to himself, "he won't ignore it."

The old man carefully closed the book and sent it flying back to its shelf.

Heavily panting, the two knights of the arcane art in training finally came to a halt in front of the door leading to the training hall of the knight apprentices.

"Huh, I'm shattered", Nina let out with a moan. "Why does the old codger always have to be so mad?" She leaned against the door.

"Why do you always have to make him that way?" , Ryu sighed in reply, leaning himself against the wall, still panting and brushing his sweated hair from his forehead.

But even though, he still smiled at her wearily.

"Well, this time, it was not only my fault", she said accusingly yet smiling, too.

"You provoked me, so if you blame me for making him mad, than you should think of who made me hit that bookshelf in the first place. Plus, I wouldn't have been there if not for you anyway", the mischievous, confident smile returned to her face.

"What logic is that supposed to be, Nina- chan?", he said sighing, yet still smiling.

"But anyway", he looked into her face, his expression no serious, just like it had been, when he had been leaning over the book carefully reading every letter, "why have you come looking for me in the first place?"

Nina grinned, here voice was playfully mocking as she spoke: "Well, I don't know if I should really tell you, you scatty bookworm. After all the trouble I had to go through because of you."

Ryu's face however kept serious, almost stern. Not going along with Nina's mocking, he spoke calmly: "Please tell me. You said master Helvin had sent you, so it has to be something very important."

Nina sighed: "Couldn't you just be a little bit less stern and sensible sometimes?"

She rolled her eyes, but then her smile returned to her face. "Fuma- chan has returned. Master Helvin told me to go looking for you, he wants you to come to his office, Fuma will be there as well."

At the words of the girl, a wide and genuinely happy smile appeared on the boys face.

"My brother is back? When has he arrived?" His voice was filled with sheer, pure happiness.

"It has been so long, I've missed him so much!" He felt like a gently tickling rush of happiness flood through his body and couldn't resist the urge to hug the girl in front of him, pressing his cheek against her shoulder; they both were of almost the same height.

Nina sighed and patted him on the head: "You know, you can sometimes be such a child Ryu- chan", she said smiling a hint of a pained expression yet in her eyes.

"Well, you better…", but Nina did not come to finish the sentences, as right at this moment, the door against they both now were leaning gave way to their weight, sending them both falling back down the few stairs leading to the hall beneath them landing both next top each other on the unfortunate opener of the door. For a moment, they kept lying there, all three moaning painfully. Ryu, who had fallen face forward, felt something fury tickling his nose and brushing against his cheeks. Looking up, he saw into the face of Sorata, one of the knights of the arcane art and also their teacher, even though he was more like an older brother for Ryu and the closest friend of his actual big brother Fuma. The Forest clansman's mouth twisted into a smile and the gentle amber eyes rested on Ryu. Without much effort, he stood up, despite the two children's bodies spread over him, lifting them both up at the same time. The red haired boy, still with his face against Sorata' s chest, felt the strong muscles tightening through the cloth. "You should really be a bit more careful you two, if it wasn't me but old master Yg…", betraying his words though, he smiled still and ruffled Ryu' s hair with the fury palm of his hand.

"I am sorry, Sorata", Ryu replied looking a bit guiltily. Giving Nina a slightly reproachful look, he added: "Yet it was Nina- chan who leaned against the door in the first place.

The girl gave him back the smug, quick witted smile she so often showed: "Well, if you hadn't hugged me, it wouldn't have come to this to start with."

"Hugged?", Sorata asked genuinely interested. Nina quickly looked into another direction, while Ryu simply looked back into the questioning amber eyes with a little-boyish smile on his face. "Yes, I was so happy, because Nina- chan told me that Fuma is finally back", he said in a genuinely untroubled voice. Sorata grinned showing the sharp wolf like teeth. His voice had the calm gentle expression that made him such a good teacher. Ryu admired the inner strength, which lay behind the calm, friendly appearance of his brother's best friend.

"You two really are like siblings", he said with a gentle laughing voice, smiling at Ryu, yet not as the red haired unaware of the strange smile, that had flushed over Nina's face when he spoke those words, the same as when Ryu had joyfully hugged her.

Ryu suddenly froze. His smile was vanishing. "Oh, I am supposed to see master Helvin in his office! Nina- chan told me, that Fuma would be there, too. I can't let them wait", he said horror-struck.

"Don't worry about that Ryu", he said, giving him a reassuring look. "If you don't mind, I will accompany you to the office, master Helvin asked me to come as well."

Nina gave them a questioning look, her voice changing to a more girlish, pleading tone. "Can I come along, too, Sorata?", she said trying to smile engagingly.

But Sorata shook his wolf like had with a teasing grin.

"No, Nina, master Halfas told me to summon you to his office immediately. Have you caused havoc in the library again?", he asked, deliberately failing to pretend to be genuinely curious.

"She has tackled a bookshelf", Ryu said grinning, followed by a girl's fist hitting is shoulder.

"I didn't do that on purpose! And it was just because of Ryu anyway", she frowned. Changing the tone, she asked Sorata nervously: "Is he, is he still mad?"

Ryu couldn't resist and a choked laugh emerged from behind the hand covering his mouth, which earned him another hit of the angry Wyndian.

"Well, you know him, Nina", Sorata said gently, "he has a hot temper, but he is also quick to calm down again. Still though, he has put you into detention, insisting though", Sorata smiled", that you spend it far, far away from the library. Off you go now", he said.

Nina sighed and trotted away from the two, exchanging a last look with Ryu, who gave her an encouraging smile.

He could be really a nice boy, she thought, though he rather showed that side to Sorata and Fuma or the other teachers, especially master Helvin. She drove the thought away with a smile, thinking back at the first time the met.

"I'm glad he has warmed up to others, glad that we have our little fights", she sighed, "After all, we perhaps are really more like siblings…"

She looked at the ceiling, sighing again loudly: "I bet the old codger will have something nasty up his sleeves. Glad it won't be cleaning the whole library again…"

At the same time, Sorata and Ryu were on their way to the office of master Helvin, who hold the position of the arch mage of the high academy for more than thirty years by now.

Ryu had known him since he was six, since the day he arrived at the academy, together with his brother. He still remembered the day, when he woke up in the soft bed, the sun of the winter morning shining through the high windows. He had felt numb and weak, the fever still making his head hurt as he tried to lift his torso up a bit to get a good look at the room. There had been voices, people were talking, but he could hardly understand a word, all still seemed blurry, all tones were unclear and faded. But there was something, they had spoken about, the voice of his brother, the voice of the old man he soon was to know to be master Helvin and the voice of Sorata. They had been speaking about him and his brother and…

"Is something amiss, Ryu", Sorata's voice broke of his chain of thoughts.

"No, it is nothing, the red haired boy replied. Then he added: "We does master Helvin wants to speak with me?"

Sorata gave him a strange look, as if carefully mustering him, but there was also something else…

"It is about you, Ryu. About the reason you came here", Sorata said.

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I hope, stopping at a cliffhanger will motivate me not to let it slack of like that again. big sweatdrop

And of course I hope you liked it. This will be perhaps one of the lightest chapters of the story, later, it will rather turn into a different atmosphere. Well, but the chapters title should show you as much anyway.I hope you enjoyed the fighting Nina and Ryu. smile


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